


Save Him From Himself

by ManiManTheWriter



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Candy Dave's take on Dirk's pesterquest route, mentions of Candy Dirk's suicide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-06
Updated: 2020-04-06
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:20:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23509813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ManiManTheWriter/pseuds/ManiManTheWriter
Summary: Candy timeline Dave has been having a hard time since Dirk took his jump and left his timeline. He'd do anything to talk to his brother one last time and try to save him, try to make sure he understands how much that decision has been hurting Dave. This isn't quite that chance, but it's close enough. He can save this Dirk from himself.
Relationships: Dave Strider & Dirk Strider
Kudos: 29





	1. Chapter 1

It’s only been a few weeks since Dirk… Since Dirk decided that this timeline, whatever it is, wasn’t worth living in. Dude had some kind of ultimate plan and him being here wasn’t part of it. He only left one note, and it wasn’t for me. It was just some bullshit about doing what was “right” and that no one should mourn him because the timeline is fucked anyway. What would he know about timelines anyway? That’s my thing and as far as I can tell we aren’t doomed and the whole “canon” thing is fine. Sure as a Heart player he’d understand that more but I can feel it pretty well. Or maybe it’s just me, feeling what I want to feel.

Not that it matters too much. He’d decided leaving the timeline permanently was Just so there’s no bringing him back. If there was a way to stop him I would have gone back already. I would go back a million times if that meant saving Dirk from himself. If I could explain what he’s done to me now that he’s gone. Now with everything going on and Karkat running off to be part of the resistance without me I don’t know what to do anymore. I just kinda live day by day and hope for the best.

It’s in the middle of feeling like my world is coming down around me again that things shift. Something has changed, but not here. In some other timeline that I shouldn’t be able to feel at all. The source of the change is suddenly standing right in front of me and looking frantic.

whoa what who the fuck are you

That’s when the little dude who is hella friend shaped starts talking about alternate selves, canon, and Olive Garden of all things. Ok now I gotta stop him because that’s all I needed to hear.

bro you said olive garden you got me

thats like a magic word to get me to trust you implicitly

dont spread it around though

also you look like someone ironed the mayor so thats like a million more points in your favor

and i am doing dick else thats useful all day

or any day to be real with you

so whats the favor

Olive Garden can only take this little dude so far, so it better not be something crazy or I’ll just slip forward a bit and walk off. Or I would if I felt like that would help at all. I mean he did just appear out of thin air in front of me. He could probably find me again, if he is a he now that I think about it. Then he mentions Dirk. Not my Dirk, but his version of Dirk.

Breathing is hard for a second and I guess that prompts the would be Mayor to keep talking about his Dirk and this other Dirk that wants his Dirk to basically stop existing and that’s all I needed to hear. No other Dirk is gonna do that if I can stop them.

im in

Suddenly he’s taking my hand and we’re gone, off to his Dirk. Seeing Dirk hurts, seeing him as just a kid hurts more. This is a Dirk that still looks up to his Dave and that is something I can use to try and help him. I don’t want anymore Dirk’s to be hurt. I can tell this is almost as hard for him as it is for me. He wasn’t expecting me at all.

Sup.

holy fuck man i didnt think invoking the name of olive garden would have this much effect but here we are

i mean sup

yeah sup

I can’t stop my gut reaction, which is to pull Dirk close and hug him. He’s just a kid but in this timeline he’s my kid and that just makes this easier. I want to just keep him here and let him know that I care and that he shouldn’t do whatever it is this other version of himself wants. Not if it means he’ll be gone for good.

So.

so

ill be real with you weve already had a version of this first meeting convo and we used like a lightning round conversational mechanism to get shit poppin

but i get the feeling we dont have time for all that right now so ill skip a few steps for you

our lil mutual friend here says you got options

Options are hard for Dirk, he told me that himself a few years ago. He’ll agonize over what could have been every time even if he thinks he made the right option.

Well, they seem to think I do, but I’m not convinced.

Do you have opinions about it?

sure do

How could I not have opinions on this of all things? He doesn’t know what I know so I’ll spare him that stuff.

i mean id do anything this lil pal suggested after what they just did for me but like

whats even the situation

That’s the hard part here. If it was a simple decision I could just give a straight up opinion and be done with it but I get the feeling that this isn’t quite that simple, but I might as well try to make it that way.

they dont want you to play sburb and some other you does

There’s a little more to it than that, but yes that’s the gist.

Ok, I’ve gotta get some more info on this. There’s something they aren’t telling me. Where is this other Dirk anyway? I would’ve figured he’d be here if this was as serious as they’re both saying but I don’t see any sign of another Dirk. I can tell they’re both on edge though, like he’ll show up any second. That feels too much like Bro. So much that now I’m on edge too, but I can push that shit aside for Dirk. Dirk and Bro may have been basically the same person but I could see the differences too. This kid is nothing like Bro. I mean he’s being fucking polite, which is definitely a first for me. I wouldn’t say Dirk was ever rude to me but this is just a bit too much. Then Dirk starts talking about something I know nothing about. Or I’d like to know nothing about.

man if you wanted to argue about canon you shoulda asked your bro here to get like anybody else to come along

that shits not my forte but seems to me that its not some immutable bastion of narrative sanctity

its just some shit some assholes said and did and some choices they made

Okay, well, if I don’t follow the plan, beat the game, and get to where you are now, how do I know my choices will still matter?

I don’t know if I have it in me to tell him that he never makes it to where I am now. I have to try though, to save him.

idk man youre not in my timeline anymore because of a choice you made a while back so my mileage might vary a bit

He doesn’t even look fazed by that, and that hurts more than anything else. He’d always thought of it then, and I can’t blame him. Not when his life is like this.

Oh.

yeah

i dont wanna waste your time or anything

just getting to talk to you is worth it so i dunno do what you gotta do but like coming from me

a guy who coulda done some stuff differently himself

There were so many things I could have changed that could have fixed the outcome I’m stuck with. Before they didn’t matter but now they do.

at least try to trust your friend

i know you dont like believing this stuff but maybe listen to the people who like you for you cause they mean it

im rambling now so i guess if i had one thing to say to you itd just be

its ok to not have all the answers

yeah thats

thats what id tell you

I’m pretty sure they can both tell it’s not this Dirk I’m talking to, not anymore. I just can’t help it though. This kid is so lost and I don’t know if I’m even helping.

So. I’m processing that. A lot.

But I also cannot go any further in this conversation without telling you that our little friend is liminal enough to actually be able to hold the Sord.

He’s stalling, trying to make up his mind. I’ll go with it because that’s some crazy information.

oh holy fuck yo whaaat

That’s when I feel it. I know my little buddy can feel it too, but he’s hearing something that I can’t. Then there he is, this other Dirk. Seeing him makes my stomach turn because I know what he’s here for, and he looks too much like Bro.

Sorry for the delay, I had some shit to deal with on my end.

Fuck, he even sounds like Bro. This shit has gotta stop, now.

New plan. Forget us all going our separate ways to fix shit. Dirk, you’re coming with me.

Your friend was right about one thing-- things don’t need to go back to the way they were.

But not for any lame reason like the power of love. I have plans bigger than that.

I promise this limp-dick excuse for a friend doesn’t measure up to all the shit I could show you, _will_ show you.

This is getting harder to listen to with every word that comes out of his mouth. He doesn’t care about this version of himself at all. He’s just gonna take what he wants and everyone else be damned.

Sure, it might hurt to leave your friends behind at first, and sure, you’ll miss out on Jake’s carnal charms, but that emptiness will fade when you realize the true power we have.

I want to step in and try and stop this, but before I can I feel it. Dirk’s making a choice. A  _ real choice. _ I can’t interfere, and neither can this other Dirk. We all just have to wait for Dirk to choose.

Sorry, man.

He chose that bastard, I didn’t do enough, I gotta go back I gotta-

Guess you can call this the bad end, yeah? Luckily for you, there’s almost definitely another of me that can’t wait to sail the seven seas of story with you or some shit.

He’s staying… It worked. I can’t believe it worked.

I assume with your huge fucking brain you can see that happening as we speak, yes?

So no need to be a sore loser now.

Oh shit. Call him out Dirk.

Be good to that me, will you? Treat him right?

As right as he wants me to, I promise.

The fuck does that mean?

Anyway, I did say one in a million odds, so statistically you have to wuss out at least once.

It’s fucking gross to experience. Good thing it’ll get totally assimilated into the other versions of this conversation.

Wow he’s really pissed off about this. That’s when the little dude steps forward, putting himself next to the younger Dirk.

Don’t gloat, it’s gauche.

Enjoy your moment of irrelevance before this one goes down the drain.

Deuces.

The little dude and I are all ready to celebrate when Dirk looks like he’s about to throw up.

Holy shit what did I just do.

This future you have in the works better be fucking good, my dude.

are you kidding me they got it on lock

There’s no way they’ve got everything planned out, but this is someone who is good at figuring that shit out. Then Dirk’s grinning about something the little guy said. I missed it honestly.

As long as we move past the sailing metaphor, you can jack that difficulty level up as high as you like.

oh are we anti-ocean here

A dumb fucking question really.

Oh yeah, extremely.

fuck water amirite

Really Dave? Fuck water? I’m an idiot. But he’s laughing, and that’s all I need to join him. He’s happy, even if he’s not sure about his future. That’s really all I can ask for. Even when that other Dirk suddenly takes him away. He seems alright so I know we will be too.


	2. Alternate Ending

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the so called "good ending". It takes off from Dirk's choice so read up to at least that first.

I want to step in and try and stop this, but before I can I feel it. Dirk’s making a choice. A  _ real choice. _ I can’t interfere, and neither can this other Dirk. We all just have to wait for Dirk to choose.

The second he turns to the little guy I know it’s too late. I didn’t help at all. He’s choosing to go with that fucker and I can’t change his mind, nothing can. He has to know or it’ll haunt him and because of that I can’t even be mad. That doesn’t make it stop hurting.

So, it’s not you, it’s me.

Is levity helpful? Probably not, but I’m doing my best.

It’s not that this hasn’t been a good time. I didn’t expect to achieve this level of meta-textual mindfreak during our hangout, but I’ve really enjoyed it.

This is a day that I would not have thought was possible.

That other Dirk… He almost looks sad and relieved at the same time. He’s got no right to feel any of that. But I can’t focus on that. Dirk wants a fist bump, and I give it to him. I can’t deny him that. I can’t do this. I gotta move off, clear my head. I’m losing a second Dirk. It’s not long until they’re gone, and that hurts even more. The little guy is hurting too. That’s his friend and everything he tried failed. I hate to bother him but I gotta get outta here.

hey bro im sorry

idk how much longer i can chill here

like emotionally

can you take me home

I know it’s gonna be a minute with how much he’s crying and I’m not doing much better. So I give him that minute and he takes me back to where he found me. I’ve only been gone about a minute, so I wave and then head home. Maybe I’ll try to find Karkat and see if he needs any help.


End file.
